1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch box mounting structure that allows a switch box to be mounted on a panel while it is engaged with connectors at the same time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional male-female type switch boxes such as a hazard switch and a defogger switch are mounted onto a panel (an instrument panel or the like) of an automobile as shown in FIG. 12. Wires 5 are pulled frontward through a mounting hole 3 of a panel 1, and the connector 7 having the wires 5 connected thereto is engaged with a switch box 9. Then, the wires 5 are pushed back through the mounting hole 3, so that elastic retaining catches 11 of the switch box 9 are caused to be retained in edge portions of the mounting hole 3. As a result, the mounting of the switch box 9 is completed.
Therefore, in such a mounting structure, a complicated operation must be performed every time the switch box 9 is to be mounted. A mounting structure that has overcome this inconvenience allows a connector to be engaged with a switch box at the same time as the switch box is mounted onto a panel. One example of such a mounting structure, which is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho. 53-32969, will be described with reference to FIG. 13.
This mounting structure is designed so that a junction connector box 15 is fixed to a mounting hole 3 of a panel 1. The junction connector box 15 has a frame-like front plate 19 around the outer periphery of the front opening 17 thereof. The junction connector box 15 has retaining catches 21 that confront the front plate 19 on the outer surfaces of the upper and lower walls thereof. The junction connector box 15 can be mounted onto the panel 1 by clamping the corresponding edge portions of the mounting hole 3 with the retaining catches 21 and the front plate 19 when inserted into the mounting hole 3 from the front surface of the panel 1 with the rear side thereof directed frontward.
Side surface openings 23 are formed at both side surfaces of the junction connector box 15. Further, in the inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls are a pair of long grooves 25 extending depthwise. On a connector 29 having electric cables 27 connected thereto is a collar portion 31, which is to be set into the long grooves 25. The connector 29 is inserted as follows. After the junction connector box 15 has been fixed to the panel 1, the collar portion 31 of the connector 29 is engaged with the long grooves 25 from the side surface openings 23 on the back of the panel 1. The junction connector box 15 allows two connectors 29 to be attached thereto by allowing both connectors 29 to be inserted from the side surface openings 23 arranged at both side surfaces, respectively.
The junction connector box 15 having the connectors 29 attached thereto then allows two switch boxes 33 to be inserted thereinto from the front surface of the panel 1. The inserted switch boxes 33 not only cause elastic retaining catches 35 to be retained by projections 37, but also connect terminals 38a to terminals 38b of the connectors 29, so that the switch boxes 33 can be electrically connected by operating knobs 39.
According to the above-constructed switch box mounting structure, the connectors 29 are fixed to the panel 1 by the junction connector box 15. Therefore, the switch boxes 33 can be mounted from the front surface of the panel 1 and at the same time, the switch boxes 33 can be engaged with the connectors 29. Hence, operability has been improved.
However, the aforementioned conventional switch box mounting structure is disadvantageous in that erroneous assembling to the junction connector box 15 is likely to occur. That is, when differently specified switch boxes 33 are to be mounted, the switch boxes 33 must be engaged with connectors 29 on an individual basis, and this may cause errors in the assembling process to the junction connector box 15.
Further, since the switch boxes 33 must be engaged with the connectors 29 on an individual basis, the assembling to the junction connector box 15 is time consuming.